


Bells and Whistles

by ArabellaFaith



Category: Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
Genre: Communication, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Honeymoon, Loss of Virginity, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 12:14:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14832074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArabellaFaith/pseuds/ArabellaFaith
Summary: Speaking about her honeymoon and her first time having sex, Michaela told Dorothy, "my mother called it 'wifely duty.' At first I was inclined to agree... but, well, things improved."  This is a telling of how that happened.A story about love, communication, and how good a honeymoon can be if your new husband is Byron Sully.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously this takes place directly after the end of the wedding episode (the season 3 finale). It continues on through to episode 3 of season 4 (skipping over the events of episodes one and two almost completely). I was heavily inspired by the way they are together in that episode, and by how eager Michaela is for Sully's affection. This story is my explanation for why. And Also just an excuse to write Sully/Michaela fluff. Tooth rotting fluff. Enjoy!

As well wishers waved them away from the train station, Sully looked down at his new bride and wondered how in the hell he’d gotten so lucky.

 

In the three years since he’d first met Michaela Quinn, his life had changed drastically.  It wasn’t the first time that had happened, but he hoped it would be the last. He’d known poverty, loneliness, success, love, sorrow, grief…  He’d transformed himself from a naive child, to a survivor, to a miner, to a husband, to a frontiersman and friend of the Indians.

 

After Abigail and the baby had died, he’d never thought he would love again, let alone marry.  He’d done his grieving, made his share of reckless mistakes, and then put all that behind him. He’d been prepared to live out the rest of his life alone.  And then one day he’d watched a woman, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, fall on her face in the mud. Based on the way she was dressed and the fine cream of her skin, he knew she was no pioneer woman.  He’d expected her to cry. To throw a tantrum. To demand that someone attend her  _ this instant _ at least.  Instead, she’d brushed herself off and kept her head held high.  Beautiful  _ and _ strong.  He’d been intrigued from the start.  But really, it wasn’t until she had taken down the hated  _ no dogs no indians _ sign in Bray’s store that he’d felt that first swoop in his stomach.  Beautiful, strong,  _ and _ unbigoted?  He didn’t think such a woman existed.

 

It had been an impulsive decision, to offer her the homestead.  He hadn’t returned to the place since the week after Abigail’s death.  It held nothing but pain for him. But it was plain to see that aside from Charlotte, no one was going to welcome Michaela Quinn into their town.  She needed… if not a friend, then an ally. Someone who would watch from a distance, let her make her own mistakes, but step in when she truly needed it.

 

He hadn’t really expected that position to become quite so literal, at first.  He’d been passing by Hank’s entirely by chance and happened to see the drunkard blocking her way out.  No one in that bar would have helped her. And no way in hell was Sully going to stand by and watch whatever came next.  Then, it was smaller things. Adding a little to her dangerously low wood pile when he passed by the homestead. Securing the barn door during a particularly bad storm.  Helping find Brian when he ran away. But then, as she settled into life in Colorado Springs, she’d begun to stand on her own two feet. His feelings for her had grown from simple attraction and intrigue to admiration.

 

After she saved Black Kettle’s life, well…  Maybe his fate had been sealed that first day she’d fallen in the mud, but it wasn’t until she stood against the army, harboring it’s enemies in her home because it was the  _ right _ thing to do, that Sully realized he could fall in love with this woman.

 

Then, it had only been a matter of time.  His casual interest in her had become more vested.  His admiration of her became intense respect. She was a force of nature.  Stubborn, proud, but never haughty, incredibly intelligent but willing to learn new things, gorgeous, but unaffectedly so.  She had the biggest heart of anyone Sully had ever known. She welcomed orphans into her home, treated everyone she met with dignity, fought against injustice even when the odds were impossibly against her.

 

There had been times when Sully had fought the future that awaited him, had struggled against it, against her, but always he had returned to one basic truth:  Michaela Quinn was the best doctor, the best woman, the best  _ person _ he had ever met, and he wanted her in his life, until his dying day.

 

And it seemed that everything, every moment since she’d first crossed his path, had led to  _ this _ moment.  When they were walking into the traincar-cum-honeymoon suite as man and wife.  Sully’s heart pounded in his chest and he felt love and desire coursing through him.  The first, he embraced wholeheartedly. The second, he did his best to stifle. They were married, yes, but he wasn’t a brute.  He knew Michaela was nervous about sex, and he had no intention to rush her. Still, he would take her as far as she would let him.

 

They kissed, more uninhibited than ever before, his hands wandering to her shoulders and then sliding around to the laces at her back.  When she commented demurely on the daylight, he drew down one shade and watched her face. No alarm, no outrage. He kissed her again, and drew another shade.  No protest. Another kiss, another ray of light blocked out. Finally, she pulled down the last shade herself, and Sully knew that she was saying yes. It was enough to ignite a fire in his belly.  She was the most courageous woman he’d ever met, even in the face of the unknown. He swore yet again that he would lead her so gently, so sweetly, that she would never regret entrusting herself to him.

 

Between kisses, he pulled away the heavy bodice of her dress and slipped the long silk skirt off her legs.  It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her in her underthings, but somehow, this seemed even more intimate than any of the other times.  Soon, if she’d let him, he would get to strip her of those, too. He would get to reveal inch after inch of her soft, smooth skin to his hungry gaze.  He could feel himself pressing heavily against the confines of his breeches, thick with want for her. He didn’t try to hide it as he pulled his beaded tunic off and dropped it to the floor.  Her eyes wandered across his bare chest and then slowly, lower.

 

With a soft gasp, she looked back up at his eyes.  He smiled at her a little, reassuring, teasing, welcoming.  She blushed, but let her gaze drop again. As much as he wanted to strip himself completely and let her have her fill of the sight of him, he didn’t want to overwhelm her or seem too expectant.  Instead, he crawled back up the length of her body, leaving kisses along the way. She responded to him so sweetly that he had to remind himself that underneath her desire and bravado, she was still nervous.

 

“I love you,” he reminded her.  She sighed softly as he kissed her shoulder and then let his teeth graze her skin.

 

“I love you, too,” she whispered.  He knew that - he’d known it since Boston, even before that if he was being honest - but it was something he would never tire of hearing.  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her nails drag softly against the skin of his back. His cock throbbed, and they  _ both _ felt the reaction.  “Sully?” she said breathlessly.

 

“Mm?”  He didn’t stop nibbling her shoulder, moving across her collar bones and then up her throat.

 

“I think-” she arched to a kiss just beneath her jaw, “-we both need to be a little less clothed for what comes next.”

 

Sully pulled back a little, surprised at her boldness.  “Nothin’ has to come next that we ain’t ready for,” he said gently.  Really, it would be a miracle if he lasted long enough to even get out of his breeches with how heavenly she felt, the intoxicating smell of her skin, the feel of her warmth against him.  She wriggled beneath him, her hip pressed against the jut of his aching cock. She raised an eyebrow.

 

“I don’t think there’s any doubt you’re ready.”

 

Sully laughed and kissed her lips, somehow more in love with her for that one cheeky comment than ever before.  They kissed for long moments, until the air between them seemed entirely too scarce and heat simmered on their skin.  Reluctantly, he pulled back a little and looked down at her.

 

“If anything, I’m  _ too _ ready.  But I’ll be more specific if you like.  Nothin’ has to come next that  _ you _ aren’t ready for.”  He brushed a wisp of hair from her face, marvelling at the softness of it, even after all this time out in the elements.

 

“We- we’re supposed to join.  As man and wife.” Her eyes flicked up to his and then her lashes lowered.

 

“Michaela, look at me.”  He cupped her jaw gently, thumb brushing across her cheekbone.  After a moment, she raised her eyes again. “I’ve always promised you that we’d take things slowly.  That won’t change now that we’re married.”

 

A look of relief crossed her face, but then she shook her head.  “We’re supposed to-”

 

_ “Supposed to _ don’t figure into it,” he interrupted.  “I intend to take my time lovin’ you, learning you, at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.  We’ve got the rest of our lives. There’s no rush.”

 

She bit her lip, as if in indecision, then smiled at him.  Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him in close. “I want to,” she whispered.  The words sent another jolt through Sully. When he looked down at her again, Michaela was still smiling at him softly, blushing but calm.  For a moment, Sully forgot how to breathe.

 

“Let’s-” his voice was husky, half strangled.  He cleared his throat and tried again. “Let’s do a little more of this and see where things go.”  There was nothing he would deny her, and not a single ounce of his being wanted to deny her  _ this, _ but he also knew that when they were both bare, when the naked heat of him pressed against her, her trepidation might return.

 

For a moment, his mind flashed back to his first night with Abigail.  He hadn’t been a virgin, not with the upbringing he’d had, but she had been.  And what experience he’d had was useless with her. She had been sweet and demure, letting him exercise his will completely.  He’d been too eager, she’d been too meek to express anything other than acceptance. Despite how much things had improved in their bed later on, he always regretted that he hadn’t made those first few times better for her.

 

He would not make the same mistakes with Michaela.

 

The two women were worlds apart, but in this, they had common ground.  Sully didn’t like to think that his brave and fierce Dr Mike would submit herself demurely to something she did not want, but he knew she had been raised a certain way - taught certain things about what husbands expected from their wives.  It would take time to teach her what  _ he _ expected from her in their bed, that being nothing less than enthusiastic consent and total honesty.  He would not take her with anything less. The idea of it turned his stomach.

 

With an iron control on his desire, Sully began to work the sleeveless chemise lower.  His lips grazed across each inch of skin he revealed, his tongue sampling the sweetness of her.  He paused at the swell of her breasts when her fingers clutched his shoulders, then she pressed him down and he obliged her.

 

He was struck again by how perfect she was.  She was so delicate, so slim, and yet her breasts seemed full and lush.  He wanted to knead their softness, to cup their weight and feel them fill his hands, but he didn’t rush.  He pressed kisses to the valley between them, brushed his thumbs along the underside of them until she arched up, eager for more.  Slowly, he allowed his fingertips to skate across the rosy peaks of her nipples, his body surging in desire at the way her breath hitched, her thighs pressed together.  She was already growing aroused,  _ wanting him, _ and the feeling was heady.  It was a thrill unlike any other.

 

Emboldened, he pressed a kiss to the purled skin.  Her hands flew to his hair, not pulling him away or pushing him closer, just tangling in toward his scalp in a way that sent chills through him.   _ Slowly, slowly, _ he reminded himself.  But oh, it was a herculean effort when she met him so eagerly.

 

At a purposely measured pace, he slipped the chemise further down.  Though he was reluctant to leave the flawless swell of her chest, his lips followed the receding fabric.  He kissed each rib, circled her navel with them, pressed another to each hip bone. With only the thin chemise between them, he could feel the heat of her sex, could smell her sweetness.  Would she already be slick for him? The idea of it drove him to near desperation.

 

He looked up at her, checking her face for any reservations.  Her lashes were lowered, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.  Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she watched him. Wordlessly, she lifted her hips in invitation.  Another thrill of pride and love went through him. He pulled the chemise past the swell of her hips and let it slide off the bed.  He did not bother to see where it landed. His eyes were fixed at the juncture of her thighs.

 

Without conscious thought, his head dropped down until he could nuzzle softly against her.  The curls against his cheek were downy, softer and finer than he could have imagined. He could feel the shape of her through them, though the delicate petals were neatly tucked against her.  He wanted to part them and slide his tongue over the center of her, to circle that one small spot until she was shaking beneath him and gasping his name, but he didn’t dare. There were some things he was going to have to take his time teaching his genteel wife about, and that was one of them.

 

“You are so beautiful,” he said reverently.  It was not only for her body that he wanted her, no, but there was no denying that she was flawless, beauty personified.  Sleek and strong and yet still soft. The blush on her cheeks darkened and spread to her chest.

 

Before she had the chance to become uncomfortable under his hungry gaze, Sully moved back up her body, blanketing her with his own.  They kissed again, him dizzy with desire and her breathless at the sensations coursing through her. He drew them out, stroking her in every spot he already knew her to be sensitive and eagerly discovering each new place as well.  The bed was shaking as the train sped along, but he thought he could feel her shaking too, becoming overwhelmed with sensation. He pulled back a little, letting her catch her breath.

 

“Can I see you, as well?” she asked hesitantly.   _ That _ was his girl.  That was his inquisitive, bold wife.  He grinned and pressed a swift kiss to her lips before shifting his weight off of her and unbuttoning his breeches.  For a moment he felt almost self-conscious at the way his erection was so eager to escape its confines, but he brushed it away.  Of course he was eager for his wife; how could he not be?

 

With hands that were not quite steady, he loosed the placket and pushed the leather down, kicking it away carelessly.  He wanted to roll back atop Michaela, to let their bodies naturally slot together, but she had asked to see him, and he would not deny her.  Instead, he stayed on his side, his head propped up on his elbow, one knee bent to ease her perusal.

 

Her eyes slid down a little, then skipped back up.  Sully chuckled and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.  “You can look your fill,  _ meahtove. _  Touch, too, if you want.”  He lifted one of her hands and kissed her palm.  She lingered there for a moment, eyes on his and hand against his lips, then allowed herself to give in.  Her fingers slipped along his skin and her eyes dropped down.

 

He could see on her face the exact moment she reached his cock, by the widening of her eyes and the deepening of her blush.  He knew she’d seen naked men before, both studying medicine and practicing it, but it was unlikely that she’d ever seen one aroused.  He knew the difference must be shocking. He kept still, letting her take her time. Her eyes flicked back up to his as if for reassurance, then back down again when he smiled and raised his brows at her.  Slowly, her fingers continued down his body until they reached his hip.

 

His cock throbbed at the simple proximity and she gasped softly.  “Is that- was that…”

 

“Excitement,” Sully explained with a shrug.  The word felt pale and insignificant compared to how it actually felt, but it was close enough.  Michaela’s soft fingertips grazed lower.

 

“You’re… eager?”

 

“If you’re askin’ if I want you, the answer is yes.  But I already said, no rush.”

 

“And I already said, I’m ready,” she replied softly.  Sully would have said something back, something teasing and reassuring, but her fingers moved again, one lightly calloused tip brushing ever so softly up the length of him, and Sully was robbed of speech.  His eyes closed against the pleasure and when he opened them again, Michaela was watching a bead of clear fluid well up at his tip and then start to slide down. She bit her lip, then swiped her finger across the slick trail.  Sully’s cock jerked, his breath stuttered out of his chest.

 

Immediately, Michaela pulled back, startled either at her own boldness or his reaction.  Sully chased her hand and laced their fingers together, huffing out a laugh.

 

“Did that- hurt?” she asked hesitantly.  Sully shook his head.

 

“The opposite,” he clarified.  “Just very… intense.”

 

“You’re still eager, then?”

 

“You could say that,” he laughed again.  He half expected her to touch him once more, but instead she settled back against the pillows.  After a moment, her thighs parted fractionally, as if in uncertain invitation. Sully hesitated.  “Just ‘cus I’m eager don’t mean we have to keep goin’. Or, there’s other things we could-”

 

“It’s our wedding night,” Michaela said, as if that was both explanation and solution.

 

“Not nighttime yet.”

 

“And here I thought that didn’t matter to you,” she replied with a little smile.  It was reassuring, but still, he hesitated.

 

“Michaela…”

 

“Sully.”  Her eyes held his, determination, trepidation, and desire in her gaze.  He waited another moment, uncertain, then finally shifted until he was above her.  A puff of breath escaped her lips as her legs automatically parted further to accommodate him.  He held himself up on his elbows, keeping his weight off of her and holding himself back. When there was no spark of fear in her eyes at the move, he leaned down and kissed her.

 

That, more than anything, seemed to relax her.  Her arms went around his shoulders and she welcomed the press of him against her.  It was different, infinitely more intense, with no clothing between them, but it was still something they were familiar with.  Sully kissed her deep and long, building on that familiarity with new and bolder touches. He coaxed her body to further arousal, cupping her breasts, stroking her flanks, sliding his fingers along the inside of her thigh.  Cautiously, he pressed the heel of his hand against the soft curls on her mound. She shuddered, but didn’t pull away. One finger slipped into the folds there and he groaned at finding her slick and hot.

 

“Michaela- Michaela.”  Everything else was becoming dim and hazy in the face of her arousal.  He wanted her, wanted to please her, to find his own pleasure in her body, to claim her as his own.  It was only by the barest threads that he held onto his rationality. He knew that he ought to coax her into release before taking her, but he honestly wasn't sure she would let him. They hadn't talked about such a thing, and she seemed so set on what was proper.  He tried to assure himself that she was excited, comfortable with him, but he knew that wouldn't be enough to make their first joining entirely painless. “This- this'll be a little uncomfortable, at first,” he warned her softly. He shifted his hand away from her and gripped himself.

 

“It’s most likely that my hymen is already ruptured,” she recited as if from a textbook, “from daily activities and horseback riding.”

 

Sully smiled indulgently and shook his head.  “Don’t matter. It’ll still… just- tell me if you need me to slow down or stop.”

 

She blinked up at him for a moment, as if she didn’t understand why he would say that.  “Sweetheart, I need you to say somethin’ if it’s too much. Will you do that?” There was another pause, then she nodded.  Reassured, Sully kissed her and allowed his hips to shift down.

 

The barest press of his cock against her slick heat was almost more than he could bear.  He had to grit his teeth as he fitted himself against her opening, overwhelmed not only by the sensation, but by the simple fact that this was  _ Michaela, _ that she was his  _ wife, _ that she  _ wanted _ him this way.  That he could have her.

 

Slowly, slowly, he let himself give into the desire he’d been fighting since the door to the train car closed behind them.  He breached her a small fraction, eased back, then pressed again. He would have liked to stroke her while he worked inside of her, to entice her more, but with the erratic lurching of the train, he didn’t want to risk slipping and driving into her too quickly.

 

When discomfort started to crowd her expression, he slowed down and kissed her, deep and long.  Her body relaxed fractionally, letting him move even further inside her.

 

Finally, his pelvis kissed hers.  The pressure sent a jolt through her body, gripping him like a vice.  Despite what he might have liked, Sully knew this wouldn’t last long enough for him to bring her the pleasure she deserved.  It had been too long, she felt too good, he was too much in love with her.

 

“Michaela-”   He drew back, then thrust forward again slowly.  One of his hands slid down and gripped the back of her thigh, hitching it up around his waist.  She gasped and her body gripped him again, this time rippling around him in waves. That was it.  He thrust into her half a dozen more times in quick succession, soft and shallow, and then he was holding her tight while his body shuddered through release.

 

The bliss was as short as his build up had been, and he groaned in frustration.  “I’m sorry,” he said into her hair, shaking his head. That was not how he’d wanted this to go, despite how pleasurable it had been for him.  He should have found a private place earlier and taken himself in hand. He should have-

 

“What for?”

 

“That wasn’t what- I wanted to…. do more,” he finished with a sigh, cursing himself silently.

 

“That was it?  You’re done?”

 

He’d expected disappointment on her face.  Instead, she seemed… relieved. She  _ smiled _ at him.  That - that was not a reaction he had foreseen.   “Sweetheart…. is there a reason you’re  _ happy _ about that?”

 

“What?  Oh, I just… well, that wasn’t so bad.”

 

“Bad?  You were expectin’ bad?”

 

She colored again, glancing away.  “Not  _ bad, _ exactly, no, but one does hear things - and you know how worried I was.  But that - that hardly took any time at all. And it was… pleasant.”

 

“Pleasant?”  It felt like a stone sank in Sully’s stomach.

 

“Well not the very end part, necessarily, but the getting ready for it was, and I can handle the discomfort of the last bit…”  She trailed off at the look on his face, knowing she’d said the wrong thing. He looked stricken. For a moment, she expected him to be angry.  Intercourse was something husbands expected from their wives, something they took great pride in. Sully had taken care to make the event as comfortable as possible for Michaela and she had upset him.  Her older sister’s cruel words rang in her ears,  _ you’ll never please a husband, Mike, you’re barely even a girl! _

 

Sully’s hand cupped the side of Michaela’s face, jolting her from her ridiculous thoughts.  Whatever her sister had taunted, she  _ was _ a woman, and she’d just lain with her husband.  It had been much closer to Dorothy’s description of the act than her mother’s, and none of that even mattered at all, because this was  _ Sully. _  He wasn’t like other men, and he didn’t care that she wasn’t like other women.  The look of concern and tenderness on his face was reminder enough of that.

 

“Hold still for me, Michaela.  This might sting a little.” He waited a moment for her to nod, then slowly pulled back.  He was right, it  _ was _ a little uncomfortable, and suddenly she felt strangely empty.  As if she was lacking in the place that he’d been moments ago. He shifted his weight off of her and then leaned close and tenderly kissed her forehead.  “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

 

“For what?”

 

“For bein’ too eager.  For rushin’ you. For not talkin’ to you about this more first.  You deserved better.”

 

“But Sully!  I  _ told _ you to do it. And I just said everything was  _ fine.” _

 

“Fine ain’t good enough,” he objected.  “I don’t know what exactly they teach ladies back in Boston about what goes on between husband and wife, but I want you to try and forget  _ all _ of it.  That’s not-  This ain’t somethin’ you’ve gotta do, Michaela.  And it’s sure not somethin’ you should be just  _ endurin’ _ for my sake.  It’s supposed to be-”

 

“This went better than I had even hoped, Sully.  I don’t understand why you’re upset. It certainly wasn’t like some of the more… sordid stories I’ve heard, and for that I’m quite grateful.  I told you I have no objection to fulfilling my role in this way. I don’t see what else is missing.”

 

Sully let out a slow breath and kissed her forehead again.  If he let himself think about what some women endured in their marriage beds, about what Michaela might have been subjected to if she’d married someone else, he was going to make himself feel sick.  All he could focus on was his current circumstances. And those were something he could make right.

 

“I’ll show you,” he promised.  “When we get to the hotel in Denver, I’ll order a hot bath for you, let you soak a good long while, help a bit if you don’t mind, and then I’ll do this right.  I’ll show you  _ first _ what you should be expectin’, and then, if you wanna do more, we can.  Alright?”

 

Michaela still didn’t understand what he meant, but she was willing to go along.  “Alright,” she agreed. “What do we do in the meantime?”

 

“In the meantime… I’d like to spend some time holdin’ my wife, if she’s got no objection.  Maybe some kissin’, maybe spend a bit more time exploring each other.”

 

She smiled at him, pressing closer.  “She has no objection whatsoever.”

 

***

 

In the hotel room, Michaela hesitated.  She’d spent the last three hours naked in Sully’s arms.  They’d copulated. They were married. So why did it feel so strange to be taking her clothes off in front of him still?

 

She hadn’t expected her innate modesty to simply vanish, but she felt almost… shy.  Thankfully, Sully seemed to notice it. He casually stripped off his own shirt and then stepped close.  “Would you like some help with those laces?” Her mind instantly went back to the way he’d pulled the laces free on the train, how feverish his kisses had been.  She barely fought down her blush.

 

“Please.”  She turned her back and pulled her hair out of the way.  The curls were flat and the pins had all vanished on the train, so it was wild and uncooperative to her any attempts to tame it.  Sully untied the laces while she put it in a loose plait. She glanced back just as he was letting the stiff material part and pressing a kiss to her shoulder.  His lips were warm and his touch sweet. She half expected him to pull the dress the rest of the way down, but instead, he backed away.

 

“I’ll let you get started while I order us some food and sort out the luggage.”

 

She nodded and he turned away.  Both relief and confusion ran through her.  She wasn’t ready to just strip down in front of him, not in broad daylight, not in such a practical way without the enticement of his kisses to ease her along.  But she didn’t understand why he was turning away from her. They’d been together as man and wife, he’d looked at and touched and kissed every inch of her body on the train.  He’d said earlier that he would help her bathe. Had he changed his mind?

 

Some dark part of her wondered if, now that he’d looked his fill, now that she was no longer virgin, his interest would wane.

 

She shook her head to clear the thought away.  Sully was not that kind of man. And  _ she _ wasn’t the kind of woman to let such ridiculous insecurities cloud her mind.  She was strong, independent, confident in herself. This was just… foreign territory to her.  Once it became more familiar, she would not have these doubts. In the meantime, she just needed to push through it and trust in Sully’s love for her.

 

Still, though the warm water was a blessed relief for tiny aches that had make themselves known, she felt bereft.

 

She was almost finished with her washing when there was a soft knock on the partition.  She jolted a little, arms automatically coming up to cover her breasts. Sully must have heard the water sloshing, because he called softly, “Michaela?”

 

“C-come in,” she called back, feeling her face heat.  Her arms remained over her chest, despite any logical argument against it.  Sully stepped just around the partition and stopped.

 

He saw the blush on her cheeks, the defensive way she had her breasts covered, the forced smile on her lips.  He almost turned around and left. He’d been trying to give her space, to collect his thoughts at the same time, but now he wondered if leaving her alone had been a mistake.  She was obviously uncomfortable. His initial reaction was to back off, to give her more space and privacy, but that hadn’t worked earlier. It seemed the more he withdrew, the more uncomfortable she became when he returned.

 

“Thought I might join you, if you don’t mind.”

 

She looked startled for a moment, then composed herself.  “Of course!” The words might have sounded enthusiastic to anyone else, but Sully could hear the uncertainty in them.  He crossed to the side of the tub and crouched down. Michaela’s eyes tracked his every movement. Instead of taking off his clothes, he leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands.  For a moment, she looked startled, then, as his thumbs brushed gently across her cheeks, she smiled at him. A genuine smile. He leaned close and kissed her, relieved and satisfied when she kissed back.

 

When she was relaxed beneath his touch, he broke the kiss and pulled away enough to see her face.  “Don’t just tell me what you think I wanna hear. I don’t wanna do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable, or afraid.  I want you to be happy.”

 

“Oh Sully.”  Michaela’s smile was sweet, her eyes soft.  “I could never be afraid of you. And I  _ am _ happy.  Truly.”

 

“Good.”  He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.  “Now, do you want me to join you in there, or would you rather I didn’t?”

 

She looked at the tub almost conspiratorially.  “Do you think there’s room?”

 

“We’d have to be pressed awfully close together.”

 

“I’ve got no objection to that.”

 

“Alright then.”  Sully stripped off his clothes quickly - not missing the way her eyes lingered on each bit of his body that was revealed - and then urged her to lean forward.  It was close quarters, but he managed to slot himself in the tub behind her and settle her between his legs. With a soft sigh, she leaned back against his chest.  He wrapped his arms around her and laced their fingers together.

 

“This is… very pleasant indeed,” she admitted shyly.

 

“Maybe someday I’ll get us a tub this big at home.  Then we can enjoy it any time we like.”

 

“That would be lovely.”

 

_ “You’re _ lovely.”

 

“Sully!”

 

“It’s true.”  He kissed down the side of her neck, lingering on the crook of her shoulder.  Keeping their fingers laced together, he slid their hands up to cup her breasts.  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, inside and out. Getting to see you like this, touch you like this, is a gift unlike any other.”

 

“It’s- it’s your right,” she said, a little breathlessly.  How could he make such shocking things feel so good? It was her own palms pressed against her skin, and yet the pleasure was just as intense as it had been when they were his.  Suddenly the pressure lifted, and her hands fell away. Sully tipped her chin back gently so that they were looking into each other’s eyes.

 

“Don’t say that.  It’s a privilege. One I intend on earnin’ every day.  And if I ever don’t, or if you’re ever unwilling, then it’s  _ your _ right to tell me so.  And I’ll always respect that.”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts, Michaela.  This is important. I don’t  _ ever _ want bein’ with me to be somethin’ you do just because you feel like you have to.  You’re my partner, my heart. I listen to you and respect your say in everything else in our lives.  Why should this be any different?”

 

Why indeed?  For a moment, all the insecurities and doubts that had been twisting her thoughts vanished and Michaela understood exactly what he was saying.  She hadn’t realized just how much she’d let her ‘proper’ notions on the marriage bed poison her rational mind. Of course she had the right to object, to keep autonomy over her body, to voice her opinions on anything they did together.  And that Sully was the one reminding her of that only reassured her beyond any doubt that she’d made the right decision entrusting her body to him. A helplessly strong wave of love washed over her and she surged up to kiss him fiercely.

 

Though shocked at first, he met the kiss just as strongly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.  By the time they broke away, neither of them could miss the hard length of his erection between them.

 

“Thank you,” Michaela murmured against his lips.

 

“Nothin’ to thank me for.”

 

“Yes there is.  And I love you, Sully.”

 

“Love you, too.”  He kissed her lightly again, then settled her back against his chest.  She relaxed, letting her head loll against his shoulder, her eyes closed.  Gently, he let his hands slide over her skin. He touched everywhere he could reach.  It was still a thrill to be able to hold her like this, to let his fingers move over her bare skin, to delve into places always before hidden.  There were so many things he wanted to show her, to share with her. Still, despite the understanding they’d just reached, he didn’t want to rush her.  Even things for  _ her _ benefit would seem overwhelming if he tried to teach her all at once. 

 

An idea occurred to him, and he smiled a little.  “I have a medical question,” he said softly.

 

“Oh?”  Her eyes opened and she glanced up at him.  “Everything alright?”

 

“Yep.  I’m just wonderin’, as a doctor, what can you tell me about… here?”  In the water, his fingers strayed to the top of her sex.

 

“Oh!”  She laughed a little, lowering her gaze.  “There’s a lot to be said about it for bodily functions, and childbirth… but I’m guessing that’s not what you mean.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“For- for intercourse, it’s where the woman takes the man into herself.  The part of her body that receives his seed.”

 

“My knowledge of anatomy ain’t as good as yours, but I think that’s down  _ here-” _ he let his fingertip drop lower, not quite touching the narrow opening there, but then pulled back up.  “I mean  _ here.” _  Ever so gently, he pressed against the small ridge amid her petals.  She gasped.

 

“T-that!  Just… just a collection of nerves located above the urethra.”

 

“Is that all you know about it?” he asked softly.  His teeth found her earlobe and bit down. The flesh beneath his fingertip throbbed and they both enjoyed the reaction.

 

“There are some… who believe that with - stimulation, a woman can achieve o-orgasm similar to the way a man does.”  Her blush was deep and her eyes down, but her body was alive beneath his touch. “Of course, it’s mostly thought to be a myth.”

 

“And you, Michaela?  What do you believe?”  He put more gentle pressure on her, then eased off and stroked.  She jolted, a moan caught on her lips as she fought to keep her breath.

 

“I- I don’t know.”

 

“Would you let me show you?”

 

The invitation made her eyes open, seeking his.  His finger moved again and she shuddered with pleasure.  There was no room for worries about propriety between them, no doubts about what was right and wrong.  They were in love, they were wed, and her husband was asking to lead her. She wanted to follow.

 

“Yes.”

 

Sully swallowed thickly, excited,  _ thrilled _ by her acceptance, but humbled by it too. By the trust she was putting in him.  He knew it wasn’t easy for her to open herself up, to rely on others, and she was putting herself in his hands in the most intimate sense.  

 

“Come on.”  He stood and helped her up, wrapping her in a towel before she had a chance to become self-conscious about standing naked and wet while evening light still filtered through the curtained windows.  With nothing more than a cursory brush down of his own body, he pulled her gently to the bed and sat her on its edge.

 

He took a second, smaller cloth, and starting at her feet, began drying her.  His lips pressed to each clean and dry bit of skin. In the divot between her toes his tongue wickedly undid his work, licking the sensitive valley there.  She gasped softly but didn’t protest, not even when he caught the tip of one toe between his lips and sucked. Her hands fisted the coverlet and her body trembled.  Sully smiled in satisfaction and continued his sensual assault. His teeth caught a piece of flesh behind her knee and then his tongue eased the sting of the nip. His lips marked a path up her thighs.  They fell open easily for him, but Sully didn’t go where he wanted to most. 

 

Instead, he skipped up to her navel, nuzzling her belly.  “Sully!” She laughed. He smiled up at her and continued his path up her body.  At her breasts, he allowed himself the pleasure of taking one stiffened peak into his mouth and sucking softly.  She gasped and arched to the sensation, prompting him to do the same to the other. “S-Sully!” His eyes flicked up to gauge her level of shock.  When he saw it was still outweighed by pleasure, he continued on. He kissed his way up to her shoulders, up her neck, and finally captured her lips with his own.

 

She was breathless beneath him, clutching at his shoulders and letting her body move freely with each new touch.  He wouldn’t have said she was uninhibited, necessarily, but she was pliant. Open to him. On one lingering kiss, he dropped his hand between her legs and again found the spot that he could wring pleasure from her with.  Her legs shifted restlessly. After dipping his finger into the slickness his attentions had drawn, he circled the little bud gently. Her movements stopped; she pressed her thighs together tightly with a gasp.

 

“Was that too much?” 

 

“I- I don’t know.”  Her eyes were wide, searching his as if for answers about her own feelings.  Sully waited a moment, then stroked softly directly over the top of it. Her hips bucked up to his hand.  “That- that feels…”

 

“Good?”

 

Biting her lip, she nodded.  Sully fought down a primal spark of satisfaction.  He could allow that when  _ she _ was fully satisfied.  “I’m gonna keep going, get you used to it, find out what you like.  If it gets too overwhelming, just say so and I’ll stop.” There was a pause, then she nodded again.  “It’ll feel intense, maybe even startling. You gotta trust me to catch you when you fall. Can you do that,  _ meahtove?” _

 

“I trust you.”  She bit her lip, then said softly, “Sully?”

 

“Mm?”

 

“Kiss me?”

 

He answered by giving her what she asked for.  He moved his mouth and hand equally slowly. With cautious movements, he learned what she liked and what was too much.  He alternated between teasing circles and gentle strokes until her legs were shaking and her nails digging into his back.  Her chest was rising and falling quickly as her body wound tighter and tighter. When he could tell she was close, her progress seemed to stall.  She was trembling on the edge of release, so close and yet unable to let go.

 

Sully broke their kiss and pressed their foreheads together.  “Look at me,” he said hoarsely, almost as breathless as she was.  She shook her head, then managed to open her eyes a fraction. With her watching his face, seeing the naked adoration in his gaze, he stroked her again, and again.  “Michaela.” It came out raggedly, the single word as laden with emotion as a thousand word poem on love. She shrieked, a single short, high pitched sound before one of her hands clapped over her mouth to stifle more noise.  Her hips bucked wildly, her thighs clamped around his hand, her arm around his neck nearly strangling with its tightness.

 

_ Now _ Sully let himself be proud.  Let himself be satisfied. Let himself revel in the primal delight of a man who’s given the woman he loves ultimate pleasure.

 

Slowly, her muscles began to relax and the arm clinging to him loosened.  Her hand fell away from her mouth and she managed to look up at him again.  “That… that was…”

 

“Not a myth,” he said with a smile.

 

She laughed breathlessly.  “No. Not a myth.” She stretched a little, languid and glowing with pleasure.  “Is that what it feels like for you?”

 

“Can’t say for sure,” Sully hedged, “as I’ve never been on that end before, but I imagine so.  Seems that yours last longer. I got no problem with that, though.” He grinned, and she matched him.  When she stretched again, her hip bumped up against a still straining part of him, and the smile faded a little.

 

“Oh.  That was… one sided?”

 

“Not somethin’ I didn’t enjoy, trust me.”

 

“But you didn’t…”

 

Sully shook his head.

 

“Then how do we - ah, do that?”

 

“I ain’t keepin’ score here, sweetheart.  It doesn’t have to be every time.”

 

“But-” She bit her lip, obviously unsettled by the idea.  Sully sighed, fighting selfish impulses and his desire to give her whatever she wanted with his need for her to understand that he gave her pleasure freely, not as a payment for his own.

 

“If you  _ want, _ and only if you want, there’s still things we can do.”

 

“Like?”

 

“We can do what we did in the train again.  It’ll be better this time. Shouldn’t be any discomfort.  Or, if you’d rather not, there’s always just touching.”

 

“Touching?”

 

In answer, Sully took her hand and guided it down to his erection.  She sucked in a sharp breath and pulled away. Not ready for that quite yet, then.  He didn’t object. “I… I’d like to try what we did - earlier, again. It’ll be different this time?  Not that it was bad before,” she added quickly.

 

“It’ll be easier,” he explained.  “You’re more relaxed, more ready for me.  This is what I should’ve done before.” He kissed her lightly.

 

“Then, we can try again?”

 

He nodded.  “Only if you want.”

 

“I do.”

 

Sully studied her face, looking for any hesitation.  He’d made the mistake before of listening to her words instead of deferring to her inexperience, and he didn’t want to do that again.  But truly, he couldn’t foresee any discomfort for her if they joined now. Her body was utterly pliant, boneless with spent pleasure.

 

Keeping a close watch on her for any sign that she might change her mind, Sully shifted his weight until he was settled atop her.  They fitted together so naturally, so perfectly. The tip of his cock kissed her slick and still swollen entrance. With deliberate care, he eased himself forward.  Slowly, the widest part of him breached her, and then he slid easily in to the hilt.

 

Michaela gasped.  He stilled, afraid that he might have hurt her somehow, but then she looked up at him in wonder.  Her body gripped him, clenching rhythmically as the release he’d just given her was sparked anew, aftershocks shooting through her.

 

“Okay?” he asked roughly, fighting to keep himself still, to let her adjust to him.

 

“More than,” she gasped.  Relieved, Sully let himself drop lower onto her body, wrap his arms around her and begin to move in a slow, steady rhythm.  He kissed her, stroking her tongue with his own and then pulling back to savor the taste of her. She felt even better than she had the first time, wetter, hot enough to scorch him, still vice tight but this time relaxed enough for him to move more easily.  She gasped again when his pelvis pressed hard against hers, tripping more pleasure through her body.

 

_ This, _ he thought, was how it was supposed to be.  Michaela already indolent from release as he moved inside her.  Sometime soon, he would build her up again for yet another release so that he could feel her clench around him as he spilled.  Just the thought was enough to make his cock jerk. Sometime soon, he would set his tongue against her core and feel her thighs tighten around his head as he brought her to orgasm, then kissed her with the taste of her sweetness still on his lips, driving into her to prolong her pleasure.

 

And there would be more times just like this.  Plying her with his hands - or showing  _ her _ how to bring pleasure to herself - and then giving himself to her when she wanted him.  And she  _ did _ want him.  That alone was enough to have him teetering on the brink of bliss.

 

There was a part of him that wanted to draw up her thighs, to lay her out wide so that he could delve even further into her, to pin her wrists to the bed and ride her with every ounce of passion he felt for her.  And there was another part, too, that wanted nothing more than to hold her close, to make love to her sweetly, tenderly, until they couldn’t be sure where one ended and the other began. There were so many things he wanted to share with her, teach her, his brave, spirited wife.  His  _ wife. _

 

With a groan, he buried himself deep and let release sweep through him.  She was holding him tightly, smiling up at him - this time not because she was relieved, but because she was pleased.  His heart clenched.

 

“I love you,” he breathed.  She hugged him close. They stayed that way for a long while, until Michaela shifted a little beneath him and he realized that she was going to be sore enough in the morning without him lingering any more.  “Hold on.” He eased himself back. “Alright?” he asked when he moved to lay beside her.

 

“Mmhm.”

 

“Better than the first time?”

 

“Significantly.”  She started to laugh a little, then stopped and blushed.  “Not that- I mean-”

 

“Michaela.  I asked and you gave me an honest answer.  Nothin’ wrong with that. ‘Sides, I can’t learn what you like unless I know what needs improvin.’  Not that I didn’t know that needed it this time.”

 

“It’s just that, this one… there was no…”  She bit her lip as she tried to find the words.  “You still feel… obscenely large, but not overwhelmingly so this time.  It was like, the first time, I ran a race without warming up before hand.  This time, it was the same race, but I’d stretched and gotten ready first. More prepared, more relaxed, more comfortable.”

 

“I don’t know about  _ obscenely large, _ but I’m glad about the rest.”

 

Michaela boldly lifted the blanket he’d settled over them and peeked down at him.  “You must admit, looking at it now, one would never suspect the… magnitude of the thing when at attention.”

 

“Suppose it’d be a bit of a shock, if you’re not used to seein’ it every day.”

 

“It gets like that  _ every day?” _

 

Sully felt his face get hot and prayed to any spirits handy that his sun darkened skin didn’t show the blush.  “I… well, most days once or twice.”

 

“However do you function with that in the way?”

 

“It, uh,” he cleared his throat, wondering how the hell the conversation had turned this way.  “It goes away if you leave it alone. Just… ignore it.” He did not mention that taking himself in hand would do the trick, too.  No need to scandalize her.

 

“I see.”

 

“I think we’ve both seen quite a lot today.”  He traced his fingers along the line of her collarbone, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.  She smiled up at him, a little shy again.

 

“I’d have to agree.”

 

“Have I told you yet how beautiful you are?”

 

She giggled.  The young, carefree sound was a jolt to his heart.  “Once or twice.”

 

“Mind if I say it again?”

 

“Not at all.”  She twined her fingers into his hair and pulled him close, but before they kissed, one of their stomachs protested the time it had been since they’d last eaten.  With shared laughter, they paused their amorous caresses in favor of seeking out the food that had been left at the door for them.


	2. Chapter 2

Sully woke in the morning to a facefull of hair that wasn’t his own.  He smiled even as the silky strands tickled his nose uncomfortably. He remembered the first time Cloud Dancing had noticed a long, golden strand of hair on Sully’s breeches and smiled at him significantly.  Since then, Michaela’s hair had only become more prevalent in his life, and he was plenty happy with that.

 

Plates of the dinner they’d fed to each other in bed were still on the bedside table, their clothes were still strewn across the floor where they’d dropped them.  He wondered if he’d be able to convince Michaela to stay in bed with him all day, but dismissed the idea. Denver wasn’t the cultural hub that Boston was, but he would give her every bit of enjoyment he could out of it.  They had tickets to shows, an exhibition of some kind to go to, and restaurants she wanted to eat at. No, he wouldn’t ask her to stay in.

 

Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy waking up with her naked in his arms.  He knew that when they returned home, sleeping naked would be a rare occurrence. The children were still in the house, and Michaela would be scandalized by the idea that they might walk in on them without their clothes.  He intended to enjoy their nudity as much as he could while it lasted.

 

Carefully, he moved her hair out of his face and kissed Michaela’s nose, her eyelids, her cheeks.  She stirred a little and pressed against him eagerly for a moment before her eyes opened and she pulled back.

 

“Mornin’.”

 

“Good morning.”  She pulled the coverlet up over her breasts, her cheeks faintly flushed.  Sully allowed himself to indulge in the thought of what she would look like bathed in nothing but dawn light, asleep in his arms out in the open mountain air.  Not something she was ready for yet, certainly, but a pleasant thought all the same. He kissed her softly.

 

“How do you feel?”

 

She shifted a little again, and her nose scrunched.  “A little sore,” she admitted. Sully wasn’t surprised.  Hell,  _ he _ was even a bit sore.

 

“How about a hot bath before a late breakfast?  Then we can go see that shop you were telling me about.”

 

“That sounds lovely.”  She smiled radiantly up at him, and Sully felt like the biggest man on earth.  She hugged him. Half a moment later, she pulled back, looking down at his erection.  “So soon?” she asked, a little dismayed. Trepidation filled her eyes and Sully wanted to  _ throttle _ whoever had taught her about a woman’s ‘duty.’

 

“Happens every monrin’,” he explained gently.  “Don’t mean nothing.”

 

She looked between the straining length and his face, then back.  “Ignore it and it goes away?” she repeated his explanation from the night before skeptically.  Sully laughed.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“Positive.”  He debated again on offering to show her how to relieve the tension with her hand, but decided against it.  They both needed the facilities, and he didn’t want her getting the idea into her head that he would need attention every time his cock got hard.  Around her, especially now that he got to take her clothes off every night, it was going to happen more frequently than  _ either _ of them would want to act on.

 

Sully kissed the tip of her nose and urged her out of bed and towards the bath.  They had a full day ahead of them, and he was eager to see her enjoying herself.

 

***

 

By the time they returned to their rooms that night, Sully admitted that even he had enjoyed himself more than he’d expected. The city was too crowded, the clothes required for fancy restaurants too restrictive, and the mannerisms of the people around them almost insufferably haughty, but with Michaela at his side, most of that melted away.  He was caught up in her excitement of looking at new medical instruments. Enraptured by the look on her face as she watched star crossed lovers in a play. Driven to distraction by the way her coral lips wrapped around her spoon as she savored her dessert.

 

There were places he’d never want to stay, and this was one of them, but he was reminded yet again that home was wherever Michaela was.

 

She was giddy with happiness when they closed the hotel door behind them, still swept up in the thrill of the play they’d seen.  Sully watched her as she talked animatedly about the way the play had been adapted for the stage, the parts she had enjoyed so much from the original book and how well the actors had carried them out.  He’d probably talked more in the last few days with her than he had for the entire year before she’d come to Colorado Springs, but he still considered himself a quiet man. He liked to listen to her talk, to watch her slender throat as she paused for breath, to let her words wash over him and effect him in ways he never would have expected.

 

He nodded in the places she expected agreement, offered a few words when she asked his opinion, but otherwise allowed himself the simple joy of being in the presence of his vibrant, lovely wife.

 

She spun around and then laid back on the bed with a laugh.  After a moment, she pushed back up to her elbows and looked over at him.  “Today was wonderful.” He nodded his agreement with a smile. “Thank you, Sully.”

 

“Nothin’ to thank me for.”

 

“That’s not true.  I’m sure a perfect honeymoon for you would have been out in the wilderness, no one around for miles, nothing but the stars over our heads.”  She raised her brows and he admitted it with a tilt of his head. “But you brought me here, because it was where  _ I _ would enjoy more.”

 

Sully crossed to the bed and sank down to his knees in front of her.  He picked up one of her hands and kissed her palm. “Makin’ you happy makes me happy.  The frontier’ll still be there when we get home.”

 

“Even still.  Thank you.”

 

He reached up to kiss her, indulging in the luxury of sliding his fingers into her thick hair.  “My pleasure.”

 

When he sat back long moments later, there was a soft expression on her face and a smile curving her lips.  Sully was just thinking that he'd like to see that look on her face every night when it twisted a little, growing unsure.

 

“I- I suppose it's time for bed,” she said suddenly, standing up.  Confused, Sully leaned back and let her move away. “I'll just-” She pointed to the partition hesitantly, as if she expected him to protest.

 

“Course,” he assured.  The day had been perfect, things had gone extremely well the night before. So why was she suddenly skittish again?

 

A few minutes later, she came back out in a full-length nightgown.  The way she was walking towards him, it looked almost like armor. Sully fought the urge to sigh.  He knew from experience that it took her time to change old habits. Expectations that had been impressed upon her from early adolescence would take just as long, and twice as much reassurance.

 

“It's been a long day,” she ventured, standing at the edge of the bed.  “I'm sure we're both tired.”

 

Instead of repeating himself again, telling her that he didn't expect anything from her unless  _ she _ wanted it, he tried a different tack.

 

“You’re right,” he agreed.  “It was a long day. I was thinkin’, I’d like to give you a massage, if you’re willing.  Might keep you from gettin’ sore muscles from all the walking we did. Wouldn’t want you out of commission for tomorrow.”

 

“A massage?”  She looked surprised, and Sully smothered his flash of irritation at her disbelief.  It wasn’t  _ him _ she wasn’t sure of.  He knew that.

 

“Yeah.  If you want.”  He pulled a small bottle of oil off the vanity and set it on the bedside table with an easy smile.

 

“Oh, well that… that would be lovely.”  She met his smile with one of her own and sat on the bed when he tipped his head at it in invitation.  He kicked off his boots and stripped out of the stiff shirt, but left his trousers on to make his point clear.  When she was settled back against the headboard, he warmed some of the oil between his hands and reached for her foot.

 

Despite the fact that his initial reasoning had been to reassure her, Sully got his own sense of assurance and enjoyment from rubbing the tension from her muscles.  Her feet felt tiny in his hands, delicate in spite of all the hard work she did. Her calves were shapely, the fine hairs covering them a pale golden that made her skin shine.  It was a battle to force himself not to go higher than her knees, especially when her thighs looked so inviting beneath the raised hem of her nightgown. Instead, he lowered it and went to the neckline.  One at a time, he unfastened the little buttons there.

 

“Sully?”  He stopped unbuttoning and looked up at her.  “Do you want me to take this off?”

 

He shook his head and kissed the tip of her nose.  “Just loosening it so I can get to your back. Lay on your stomach for me?”  She hesitated just a moment, then did as he asked. With the nightgown unbuttoned to her sternum, he could work it down her shoulders and expose the long sweep of her spine.  Saints alive, even just the view of that was enough to make his pulse quicken. But with her already uncertain, he wasn’t about to let his desires get the better of him. He added more oil to his hands and then moved closer, until his hip was pressing up against hers.    When the oil was warmed, he put his hands to her back and began kneading the tense muscles.

 

A low moan escaped her lips and she gasped.  Through the curtain of her hair, he could see that the tips of her ears were red.  He chuckled. “Feel good?”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“Good.”  He worked his hands slowly down to her waist and then back up again, taking time to press into every dip and valley.  When his fingers massaged up her sides, they came close, so close, to the swell of her breasts but never touched there.  He worked his way up her neck, then wiped his fingers clean of any residual oil and delved them into her hair. Her scalp prickled as he rubbed firm circles from the base of her skull up to the crown of her head.  By the time he was finished, she was utterly boneless. He tugged the nightgown up over her back again, swapped his trousers for a pair of linen shorts, and climbed onto the bed with her.

 

“I am a rational woman,” Michaela began sedatedly when he drew close.  “I don’t believe in the supernatural. But Sully… you have magic fingers.”

 

He laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear.  “Glad you think so.”

 

“There is no other explanation for how wonderful that was.  If you ever want a different profession, you could charge by the hour for that.”

 

Sully snorted.  “Like anyone would pay for that.”  She opened her mouth to argue and he kissed her until she subsided.  “No one I’d want to touch like that besides you, anyway.” He rolled to his back, and Michaela shifted closer until she could lay her head on his shoulder.

 

“Thank you for that.”

 

“Nothin’ to thank me for.”  He hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head.  She snuggled into the embrace, one of her legs drawing up to get more comfortable.  Sully started to try and shift away, but then her knee bumped against him anyway and she drew in a short, sharp breath.

 

“You’re…”

 

“Yeah.  Nothin’ to worry about.”

 

She looked up at him, and he wished he’d turned out the lamp before getting onto the bed.  “Does it happen every evening, too?”

 

“Not- not usually.”

 

“Then why is it…”

 

He shook his head.  “You’re a beautiful woman, Michaela.  And I just had the privilege of puttin’ my hands on you.  It was… enticing.”

 

“Then you want to-”

 

“No.  Suspect you’re still sore from yesterday.  We’ll wait until you’re ready again.”

 

“That’s… very kind of you to be so considerate.  But isn’t this uncomfortable?”

 

Relentless, inquisitive woman.  How was it possible that the things he loved so much about her were also things that frustrated him to no end?  “It’s nothin’ to be concerned about. I told you, it goes away on its own. It doesn’t need any tending.”

 

“Oh.”  She went quiet, and Sully cursed himself for not moderating his tone better.  “But… what if I wanted to?”

 

_ Oh. _  He nearly gaped at her.  Color rose high in her cheeks under his shocked stare.   _ She wanted to? _  His cock throbbed expectantly.  “Do you?”

 

“Well, I  _ am _ still sore.  But… but you said there was something else?  With touching?” Her blush deepened. Sully ignored his impulse to grab her hand and wrap it around his aching length.  He wanted her to mean this - wanted it more than he wanted his next breath - but he needed to clarify something first.

 

“You know I don’t expect anything from you, don’t you?  Not because we’re married, not because it’s our honeymoon, not because I gave you a massage.”

 

Her face fell.  “If you don’t want-”

 

“I do.”  He caught her chin and tipped it up before she tucked her face away.  “I’d very much like to show you that, to share it with you. But only because  _ you _ want to.  Not out of gratitude, or duty.”

 

“I  _ am _ grateful,” she admitted.  Just when his hope started to fall, she bit her lip and added, “but I want to because  _ I  _ want to.  Because you’re my husband.  Because I love you. Because the thought of giving you pleasure like you gave me is… exciting.”

 

Sully felt his expression soften, his heart tug.  He hugged her close again and kissed her. “In that case, let me show you.”

 

She nodded gratefully, and Sully rearranged them so that he was lying on his back again and she was tucked into his side.  He took one of her hands into his own and led it down until he could wrap their twined fingers around his cock. He gripped lightly, and his erection jerked in response.  Michaela startled, her eyes flying up to his.

 

“L-like this?”

 

“Yeah,” Sully said, forcing himself not to groan at the feel of her holding him.  “Just like that.” Her hand shifted a little, and Sully took the opportunity to start a slow stroke.  Already, drops were forming on his tip and starting to track down to where their hands were. On another stroke Michaela’s hand tightened, and he couldn’t hold back his sound of pleasure.

 

“Good?” she asked tentatively.  Sully huffed out a shaky laugh.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Emboldened, she did it again, gripping him just a little tighter on the upstroke.  His breath caught in his throat and he held himself firmly in place to keep from thrusting up into her hand.  The idea of  _ that _ crowded his mind with a dozen other erotic images.  Michaela above him, riding him. His hands gripping her hips as he planted his feet for leverage and thrust up into her.  Her head thrown back, long hair dancing across his thighs. Watching her take her pleasure on him, wild, uninhibited…

 

His eyes flashed open before he got too caught up in the fantasy and lost control.  Unfortunately, the sight that met him didn’t stem the rising of his ardor. Michaela’s face was tipped enough that he could see her face, eyes narrowed in fascination and concentration, taking everything in.  When he pulled his hand away, hers was left on its own on his length. Sully didn’t think he was a disproportionately large man, but her hand looked so small on him, those deft, talented fingers barely meeting as they wrapped around him.

 

She paused, looking up at him, and he gave her a short nod.  It was all the assurance she needed to continue stroking him on her own.  Sully reached over his head and gripped the headboard, afraid he would get too caught up and grab  _ her. _  Heat was rising in his belly fast despite his best efforts to forestall it, and suddenly he realized with a jolt of panic that he hadn’t said anything to prepare her for the end.  Teetering on the verge of climax hadn’t left him capable of coherent speech, let alone to ability to explain that he was going to spout like a geyser under her hand.

 

Then there was no more time to consider, because he was  _ there,  _ and unable to hold back another moment.  He surged up and in a single, swift roll, switched their positions.  He covered her hand with his own, their lips crashed together, and he shuddered through his release.  It took every ounce of his willpower not to press himself against her belly as he came. Instead, he kept his hips twisted to the side, making a mess of the sheets that he was going to have to clean before they went to sleep or he’d wake up with a sticky back.

 

Eventually, the waves of pleasure receded, and Sully broke the desperate kiss, resting his forehead against Michaela’s.

 

“I-” he tried to catch his breath, shaking his head a little at his foolishness.  “I didn’t account for- the end. Sorry.”

 

“You mean ejaculation?”  Her voice was so prim, so serious, that Sully couldn’t help but laugh.

 

‘Yeah.  That.” Of course she knew the mechanics of it.  She was a  _ doctor. _  No, he still didn’t think she would’ve been prepared for the… magnitude of the event, especially considering how worked up he’d been, but still.  He felt ridiculous for his panic.

 

Michaela peeked down at the mattress, then looked away quickly with a little smirk.  “I think maybe we should lay a towel down.” Sully growled playfully at her and nipped her ear.

 

“Suppose you’re right.  Gonna have to give me a minute though.  I’m not sure my legs’ll carry me quite yet.”

 

“That was… satisfactory, then?”

 

Sully scoffed.  “Lady, if that was  _ satisfactory, _ then  _ great _ ’ll send me to meet my maker.”

 

“Really?”  He nodded, and her smile widened.  There was a gleam in her eyes that he’d never seen.  Something almost wicked.

 

“What?” he asked, curious about what she was thinking.

 

“Nothing,” she protested.  He just raised a brow, and she laughed a little.  “It’s silly. I just… it feels… powerful, almost. To be able to make you feel so much.  To give you that with nothing more than my hand. It’s - thrilling.” She bit her lip and barely glanced up at him, as if she expected him to laugh at her.  Instead, he lifted her hand and kissed her palm.

 

“You  _ are _ powerful, Michaela.  You’re going to learn that every inch of you has power over me.  That you can use these hands, these limbs,” he hitched one of her thighs up around his waist, “these lips,” he traced the furl of her lower lip with his thumb, “to bring me to my knees.”

 

She smiled, her eyes glittering in the glow of the lamp.  “It almost seems wrong, doesn’t it? I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.”

 

“I’d gladly submit myself to you in any way you wanted,  _ meahtove. _  Have no doubt about that.”

 

“And I, you,” she admitted.

 

“Then our marriage bed will never get boring, I promise you.”  He pressed one more kiss to her lips and went in search of a cloth to clean the mess he’d made.

 

***

 

Sully had originally intended to wait longer before introducing Michaela to the concept of pleasing her with his mouth, but the idea refused to leave his mind.  Worse, he’d come up with a dozen rationalizations why he shouldn’t wait. Not wanting the children to be in the next room the first time she experienced it was foremost.  Then there was the fact that she’d already been so brave, so bold, with every new thing they’d tried. Plus, if she still happened to be sore, his tongue would create less friction than his fingers.  Really, there were more reasons to do it now than there were to wait.

 

But he reminded himself that two days ago she’d been entirely inexperienced.  The most basic act of sex was still new to her, and he had already introduced her to several other things as well.  If he pushed her too hard or too fast, she might withdraw. He’d never seen Michaela back down from anything, but then, he’d never seen her skittish and submissive like she’d been about the idea of sex at first.  He  _ still _ worried about the callous ideas that had been put into her head.

 

Still, he wanted them to forge their path forward, to explore the good, not just run from the bad.

 

Michaela turned her back to Sully and swept her hair over her shoulder, exposing the laces of her dress to him.  Wordlessly, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and began to unfasten them. She was humming softly, a tune from the show they’d seen after dinner.  It sounded sweeter from her lips than it had the singer’s. Twin bolts of love and desire shot through him. He cleared his throat as he pulled loose the last lace.

 

“Thought I’d try somethin’ new tonight, if you’re interested.”

 

“Oh?”  She turned, letting the bodice of the gown slip down her shoulders and then stepping out of the skirt.  Her eyes tracked the movement of his hands as he began shedding his clothing as well. His shirt dropped to the floor and his boots were kicked away.

 

“Unless you’re too tired?”

 

“No.  Not too tired.”  She smiled at him and walked forward in nothing but her slip and drawers.  It was a stark change from her previous uncertainty, and Sully was nothing but grateful for it.   _ This _ was the Michaela Quinn he knew.

 

“You’re interested, then?”  He popped open the button on his trousers, and she wetted her lips.  He’d been holding his desire well at bay, but that small action had him stirring to life. 

 

“I am.”  The hitch of her lips that accompanied the words, a little crooked on one side, full of mischief and excitement, made up Sully’s mind for him.  He pulled her close and kissed her. Already, he was imagining how she would taste. His body was straining for her now, anticipation hot in his blood.

 

Carefully, he backed her up to the bed and sat her down.  He went to his knees before her and raised one stocking clad foot.  His fingers found the garter high on her thigh and he slowly rolled the material down, his lips skimming along with his fingers.  He did the same with the other leg, then kissed his way up to the hem of her drawers. With her help, he pulled the slip up over her head and slipped off the drawers.  When she was naked except for the curtain of her hair, he urged her back further onto the bed. 

 

While she scooted up to the headboard, he stripped off his trousers.  In less than a moment he followed her onto the bed and began kissing up her leg again.  For a moment he considered that he might have a fixation of some sort on her legs, on the way they felt beneath his lips, but he dismissed it.  He had a fixation on  _ every _ part of her and the way it felt beneath his lips.  

 

He was all too eager to taste the one part of her that he had yet to sample.  He reached her inner thigh and continued up, not skipping to her waist as he had done before.  She squirmed a little, either still unsure of his destination, or having realized it and not knowing how to react.  He kissed the crease at the inside of her right thigh and let his tongue slide along it.

 

She gasped, her hands flying to his hair and tangling there.  When she didn’t immediately pull him away and demand that he stop, he pressed in closer.  The tip of his tongue dipped into her hidden valley and traced along one soft ridge.

 

“S-Sully!”  This time, her hands did tug, and Sully raised his head just a fraction.  When he spoke, the words blew warm breath across her now throbbing sex.

 

“Trust me,” he asked softly.  “Let me taste your pleasure.” Her wide eyes remained fixed on his, unblinking, her lip caught in her teeth, and then slowly, she nodded.  Her thighs parted fractionally wider. It was an invitation Sully had no desire to resist. He lowered his mouth again and ran the flat of his tongue directly up the center of her, lingering and pressing against the stiff bead of flesh at the very top.

 

Michaela cried out, her legs jolting, and Sully repeated the movement.  With calculated precision, he began tracing patterns with his tongue that she had liked with his hand.  Each clench of her muscles, each gasp of pleasure, drove him on. As her excitement grew, her taste filled his mouth.  He savored every drop of her. She was a delicacy he already knew he would never get enough of.

 

When her pulse was racing beneath his tongue and her thighs shaking around his ears, Sully sped up his movements.  She was so close to the edge and desperate to let go. Keeping up the pace of his tongue, he slid his hands up her torso until he could cup her breasts.  She arched into the touch, seeking more. Boldly, he pinched the hard peaks between his fingers. With a cut off cry, her thighs clamped down around his ears and she lost all control.  Sully teased her through it until she was weakly pushing him away, then he pulled back and blanketed her body with his own.

 

The eager head of his cock nudged against her, making her gasp.  “I wanna be inside you,” he whispered raggedly. Michaela’s legs parted further without conscious thought.

 

“Yes,” she breathed.  And then he was pushing inside of her, using the aftershocks of pleasure coursing through her to ease the way.  He paused every time her body clenched, then pushed in on the release. When he was fully engulfed in her, he dared to kiss her lips.  She didn’t protest or turn away as he’d feared, which only made him more aroused. She kissed him back with equal fervor, tasting herself on his tongue.

 

Soon, Sully was driving into her fast and deep, barely remembering to temper his strength, utterly lost in the sweet torture of her body gripping his.  One particularly hard thrust shifted her up the bed, and Sully growled his displeasure. He hitched both of her thighs up around his waist and held until her heels locked behind his back.  After one endlessly long moment of stillness to let her adjust to the new, deeper angle, Sully started moving again. To his surprise, Michaela used the leverage of her heels on his back to push up to meet his thrusts.  They were jolting and uncoordinated at first, but then she followed his rhythm and they were straining in tandem, bodies totally in union. 

 

It was enough to wring Sully’s climax from him.  He buried his face against her shoulder to muffle his shout and held her tightly.  Her breath was coming nearly as fast as his own, her cheeks flushed from exertion.

 

Reluctantly, he shifted to the side, pulling out of her carefully and taking his weight off her.

 

“Alright?” he asked her, brushing hair off of her forehead with a hand that wasn’t quite steady.  She nodded and laughed a little breathlessly.

 

“Yes.”  She curled in closer to his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder.  “That was… wonderful. I never knew that the mouth could be used to- do that.”

 

“Yeah.”  He considered adding that the same would work on him, but refrained.  Someday she might stumble onto the idea on her own, and if it was one she was interested in, then fantastic, but he didn’t want her to feel pressured into reciprocating.  It wasn’t as though he hadn’t gotten plenty out of what they’d already done.

 

“Does it ever get less… intense?”

 

Sully shrugged a little.  “Less unexpected, maybe. But if it stops feelin’ good, then something’s not bein’ done right.”

 

“Oh.”

 

He cocked a brow at the tone of her voice.  “Are you  _ disappointed _ by that?”

 

“What?  No! I just-  well we seem to be rather… vocal in our activities.  And when we get home-”

 

“Colleen and Brian’ll be only a few doors away.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to take some time to see how quiet we can be when we need.”

 

“And if we can’t?”

 

Sully smirked wickedly.  “Then I’ll just have to sneak you out into the wilderness to have my way with you.”  The idea seemed to appease her - despite the fact that he’d half expected her to protest the thought of sex outside a bed - because she smiled back at him.

 

“Good.”

 

***

 

The next night they finally got to experience their climaxes at the same time, with Sully’s fingers working their magic between Michaela’s legs while he took her.  There had been no chance of them staying silent during  _ that. _

 

They did make progress in the following nights, though, cries of pleasure lost in kisses or muted by pillows.  Michaela’s relief that they would still be able to continue their carnal activities once they returned home helped reassure Sully that she truly did enjoy everything they did together.

 

It still lurked in the back of his mind at times, the fear that she would be unwilling some time and not feel like she ought to say so.  He carefully listened to both her words and her body when showing his own interest, so that he wouldn’t miss any sign of reluctance.

 

All too soon, their honeymoon came to an end and they found themselves on the train back to Colorado Springs.  They gladly indulged in the bed one last time along the way, and then their solitude was over. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian were at the train station waiting for them along with most of the town.  The men went to dismantle the bed and move it up to the homestead while Michaela and Dorothy talked and laughed.

 

In less time than Sully would have expected, they were moved into the new house and trying to settle into an entirely new kind of life.  It wasn’t the polite caution that had presided over the time they spent together before getting married, and it wasn’t the pleasurable abandon they’d experienced on their honeymoon.  It was the beginning of  _ real _ life together.  It was new, exciting, sometimes uncomfortable, often unexpected.  Even the children had to adjust to the changes, and they laughed when Brian said goodbye to Sully for the night at bedtime, thinking he would be leaving.

 

The first night in the new bed they took the opportunity to put their practice at being quiet to the test, and since no one came pounding on the door worried about the noise, they deemed it a success.

 

***

 

Waiting to expand their family meant that they needed to be careful what days they enjoyed their marriage bed.  Michaela’s medical knowledge of reproduction told her what window of days should be avoided. Unfortunately, it started on their second day back home.

 

In the short time they’d been married, Michaela had already shed many of the unsavory thoughts she’d had about ‘wifely duty.’  Sully had been clear from the start that he wanted her to  _ enjoy _ what they shared together, and then he’d showed her exactly how to do so.  Not only that, but he had been accommodating of her physical limitations, too.  He hadn’t pushed when she’d been sore, hadn’t pressured her at all to have sex if she wasn’t interested.  The fact that she had almost always been extremely interested in every form of lovemaking he wanted to show her was beside the point.

 

Still, she wasn’t quite sure how they would handle the coming days.  So far, they’d been enjoying each other almost every day. Sometimes more than once.  But they would need to skip several days while she ovulated, and then in another few weeks, there would be her monthly.  The idea of not being able to be together that way for nearly half the month every month was disappointing. And surely if  _ she _ was disappointed, Sully would be even moreso.

 

She spent more time that she cared to admit that day preparing speeches in her head.  Ones with far too much medical terminology and explanations about the timeframe in which babies were conceived.  But when they were in bed together that night and Sully’s hand was easing under the hem of her nightgown as he kissed her, everything she’d planned to say slipped her mind entirely.  She put her hand on his chest and pushed until he moved back a little, his hand stilling.

 

“Sully?”

 

He searched her face and then pulled the nightgown back down.  “Tired tonight?” he asked gently, giving her an out without even needing to explain.  “Let me just get the lamp then.” She wanted to kiss him for his selflessness, for his consideration, for the way he took care of her so attentively that she didn’t even have to  _ say _ something that she might be uncomfortable with.  She wanted to do more than kiss him for it, too, and that was half the problem.

 

“Not too tired,” she said before he reached for the lamp.  “But-” she took a breath and reminded herself that if she’d gotten through the reproductive course in college with a male professor she hadn’t even liked, then she could have this conversation with her husband.  “It’s just that, if we want to wait to expand our family, then for the next few days we shouldn’t…”

 

“Oh!”  He shook his head and laughed a little.  “Right. I hadn’t even- I’m glad you were keeping track.”  He kissed her forehead to show his gratitude, and Michaela allowed herself a small sigh of relief.  She hadn’t expected him to be uncaring or cold, but his easy acceptance was still a comfort. “What do you wanna do, then?”

 

Her brows furrowed as she tried to catch his meaning.  “Do?” 

 

“Uh,” he cleared his throat a little and made a vague gesture, “yeah.  About-” He stopped and made a face at his ineloquence. “We can wait entirely, if you want, or we can just-”

 

“Just?”

 

“Do other things.  Things that aren’t… intercourse.”  The word felt absolutely ridiculous on Sully’s tongue and he shook his head with a somewhat rueful smile.

 

“Oh!  I guess I never thought… I just assumed that we couldn’t… but some of what we’ve done before couldn’t possibly end in conception.  Like when you-” Her eyes settled on his mouth and she blushed. “Well.”

 

“Exactly,” he agreed, grateful she’d gotten his meaning.  “If you want.”

 

“And for you?”

 

“I ain’t keepin’ score here, Michaela,” he reminded her gently.   “But there’s things we’ve done that’d work for me too. If you’d like.”  

 

“I’m not opposed.”  

 

Sully considered her tone of voice, the expression on her face, the way her body shifted fractionally closer to his.  Even after all they’d done together, she almost never initiated things on her own. She seemed hesitant to show interest at all until they were already started.  It made him need to double check every agreement to make sure her words and her body were saying the same thing. Sometime soon, they would have to have a talk about why she was so reticent about expressing her wants.

 

For now, though, he didn’t see any conflict in her eyes, and her body was pressing even more closely to his.  His worries assuaged, Sully moved down the bed and began to kiss his way up her thighs.

 

***

 

Later, they  _ did _ have a discussion about Michaela ‘showing enthusiasm’ as the Cheyenne said.  The fact that she wanted him so much made Sully feel ten feet tall. There were many things in his new life that he was proud of, but the fact that his wife was so eager for his attention in bed might just have been at the top of the list.

 

He knew that with time, the excitement of their lovemaking would simmer a little, but with that would come a deeper appreciation of each other and an intimate knowledge of themselves greater than they could ever have on their own.  And even when the newness of their joining faded, there were some things that would never change.

 

The way Michaela welcoming him between her thighs made his heart pound.  The love he felt for her when she whispered his name in the dark. His desire to give her greater and greater pleasure.

 

And the knowledge that in her, he’d been given a gift, and he was so incredibly lucky to have her.  

**Author's Note:**

> To the best of my understanding, 'meahtove' is Cheyenne for 'gift' or 'treasure'.


End file.
